ALPHA by Shenseea

"ALPHA" by Shenseea [Rich Immigrants/Interscope Records]

1. 'Target' featuring Tyga

2. 'Can't Anymore'

3. 'Deserve It'

4. 'R U That' featuring 21 Savage

5. 'Lick' featuring Megan Thee Stallion

6. 'Bouncy' featuring Offset

7. 'Henkel Glue' featuring Beenie Man

8. 'Lying If I Call It Love' featuring Sean Paul

9. 'Hangover'

10. 'Body Count'

11. 'Egocentric'

12. 'Shen Ex Anthem'

13. 'Sun Comes Up'

14. 'Blessed'

Okay so, recently released is one of the most anticipated Dancehall/Reggae albums in quite awhile as, at last, delivering her debut album is the extremely popular Shenseea, with "ALPHA" (great title) and, having listened to it quite a bit now, I'm thinking that I should probably get this out of the way right now: I DO NOT LIKE THIS ALBUM. It isn't a Dancehall album, it is pretty much a Hip Hop album by a Jamaican artist and Hip Hop is not and never will be 'my thing'. It does have its moments, Beenie and Sean Paul join, and there's a tune here called 'Shen Ex Anthem' which is DAMN impressive (more on that in a second). But I didn't expect that I would actually like "ALPHA". I'm certainly not the target audience (something tells me that, while recording the album, Shenseea and co. probably didn't have it in mind that what resulted would mash up forty year old men who don't enjoy Hip Hop) (still kind of hurts to say that) (DAMN! How did that happen?!) and it is very much a release that I fully expect to ignite with her typical fanbase and I think "ALPHA" has more in the way of international ambitions and, in that regard, I also imagine it will do quite well (apparently it already is from what I'm reading). 

HOWEVER - With that being said I do actually consider myself a fan of Shenseea's for one glaring reason. Yes she's very easy on the eyes, but even more pressing is the matter that Shenseea is EXTREMELY gifted with the spoken word. As I've said in the past about people like Damian Marley, Spice and others: They have qualities outside of the studio that're dominant. When you think of them, you might not immediately think of their music -- maybe it's their persona or their lineage in the case of Marley -- but when you do get around to hearing what they're capable of, it is top-flight, world class material. Shenseea is of that ilk. She's created this persona which has worked for her (and will continue to work for her), but she keeps relevant amongst a different group of people, like myself (and maybe like yourself), who're able to appreciate her skill. It is that skill which keeps her on my radars and has me listening to an album which, I know full well going in, that I'm not going to like very much, because I know that she has the ability to do something special. 

"ALPHA" is not for me. If you frequent these pages (shame on you!) then "ALPHA" probably isn't for you either. But Shenseea's is a name that will have to do a lot more than dropping one set that she made for someone who isn't me.... shit, if she made another one just like it (and in a couple of years she almost surely will) I'd still be interested.